November Now Known As 'Empowering Teens Month' In Illinois

ORLAND PARK, IL — The Bridge Teen Center announced that Governor JB Pritzker has issued a formal proclamation for November be known as Empowering Teens Month in the State of Illinois. The proclamation comes in honor of The Bridge Teen Center's free holistic programs that have successfully engaged, connected and empowered over 10,500 local teens over the last 11 years, according to a news release from the center.

The release states that the official proclamation gives new dimension to The Bridge's new Empowering Teens Month initiative this November, providing an "official" endorsement that underlines the message of how impactful holistic after school programming is in the lives of local teens and families. This proclamation marks the 13th time in the organization's 11-year history that The Bridge's programs have been recognized for their effectiveness by both private and government entities, according to the release.

"We shifted gears from our award-winning Drive Out Bullying efforts to Empowering Teens Month because we wanted to focus on positive, real solutions instead of focusing on a single issue," said Priscilla Steinmetz, Founder and Executive Director of The Bridge Teen Center. "We are proud of the thousands of young lives our free holistic programs have impacted over the last decade or more - and we are grateful to Governor Pritzker and the State of Illinois for recognizing our impact and issuing this powerful proclamation."

Empowering Teens Month runs throughout November, and The Bridge Teen Center offers many ways to get involved. From sponsorships to group volunteer opportunities at The Bridge Thrift Store, there are many ways individuals and businesses can support this new initiative. With 90 percent of all donations directly supporting the students served by The Bridge, Empowering Teens Month is truly an opportunity to "give local" in support of teens and families in our own backyards, the release states.

For more information about Empowering Teens Month, visit thebridgeteencenter.org.